FAQ

Do I get a discount for using Clipper on AC Transit?

How does the Day Pass work?

AC Transit's Day Pass gives you unlimited rides on local routes on a single day. A Day Pass is $5 for adults and $2.50 for youth, senior and disabled riders. If you are paying with cash, you have to choose to buy a paper Day Pass from the driver before your first trip, or you will pay full fare for each trip. But if you pay your fare with cash value on your Clipper card, once you pay $5 in local fares in a day ($2.50 for youth, senior and disabled riders), you get unlimited local rides the rest of that day automatically, and you will never pay for trips you don't use.

If I buy a new 31-day pass before my current pass expires, when does the new 31-day pass become active?

It depends on how you buy your pass. If you buy a new 31-day pass in person at a retailer, ticket office, ticket machine or Add Value Machine while the previous pass is still active on your card, Clipper will simply extend the expiration date of your current pass by 31 days, with no gap in between. Once you have an active 31-day pass on your card, you can add up to three more passes to your card. If you want a gap in between your old pass expiring and the new one becoming active, purchase your new pass in person only after the old one expires, and the new pass will be activated the first time you use it.

If you are signed up for Autoload or order your pass through the website or over the phone, Clipper will automatically add the new pass to your Clipper card the next time you tag your card on an AC Transit bus after the original pass has expired. For example, if you have an AC Transit 31-day pass that expires on May 12th, the new pass will not become active until the first time the card is tagged AFTER May 12th. If you do not tag your card again until May 21st, the new pass will be activated with a start date of May 21st and an expiration date 31 days from the start date. This happens automatically, with no disruption in your ability to use Clipper.

I only have a local pass on my card, but I'm going to San Francisco today. How do I upgrade?

To use your local 31-day pass or Senior/Disabled monthly pass for transbay service, you will need to have cash value on your card to cover the difference between a local and transbay fare. If you only have a local 31-day or Senior/Disabled pass on your card and no cash value, you cannot use your Clipper card on a transbay bus. Instead, you will have to pay the full transbay fare in cash.

What's different about using my RTC card as a Clipper card, rather than as a flash pass?

In the past, the traditional RTC card functioned only as a "flash pass" with a sticker that you had to purchase every month and show the bus driver to board the bus. You can still use your RTC Clipper card in this way - as long as you have the sticker to show - but when you use the card as a Clipper card, you load your pass onto the card electronically instead of putting a sticker on it. (Note: When you start using your card as a Clipper card, you must remove all traces of the monthly sticker.)

Can a monthly sticker be affixed to a Senior Clipper card?

No. The monthly sticker is for RTC customers only and cannot be placed on a Senior Clipper card. Senior monthly passes are only available on Clipper. Click here to find out more information about adding a monthly pass to a Clipper card.

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